Tag Archives: Vardenafil

The plaintiff, Bayer sued BDR Pharmaceuticals for injunction restraining infringement of Product Patent no.IN225529 and Process Patent no. IN188419 and for other reliefs. Bayer asserted that the patents cover vardenafil, a drug used to treat erectile dysfunction.

Previously, Bayer sued Ajanta for injunction restraining infringement of the same patents. Justice Gauba of the Delhi High Court in the Ajanta Suit held that Bayer did not merit injunctive relief as the patent in question is a non-worked patent, and exports by Ajanta generated employment and tax revenue for the state, and it was therefore in the public interest to allow them to continue.

In the BDR case, a hearing was held on 14 February, and BDR cited Justice Gauba’s order in Ajanta case to argue that an injunction was not merited in its case either. BDR also argued that its exports earn foreign exchange for India and encourage economic activity. Justice Endlaw rejected the Ajanta order’s precedential value being an ad-interim order and ordered the case to be listed in two days. The court also held that if such parameters are to be adopted, then in each case of a non-working of patent, infringement of the patent would be allowed. The court also noted that the drug is also not a life saving drug.

On 16 February, the BDR case was referred to mediation. It is set to be listed again on 8 March.